Link belts are generally known and used in a variety of applications, such as transmission belts and conveyor belts. When used as a conveyor, frequently the material being conveyed is dropped onto the belt or manipulated so that the shock of the impact of the material onto the belt causes significant noise and/or vibration. The vibration can lead to accelerated wear of various components of the conveyor assembly. In addition, the significant noise produced by the impacting material degrades the work place environment and introduces dangers associated with high-noise environments.